Improved car-seat



J. R.CH|LES.

Car-Seat and Couch.

Patented July 30 1867.

N. PETERS, FMOTO-LIYMOGRAPNEWv WASHINGTON D C @nitrh gfatrs jinn: @ffitr.

JAMES R. OHILESI, or RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

' Letters Patent No. 67,165, dated July 30, 1867.

IMPROVED GAR-SEAT.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it'known that I, JAMES R. CHILES, of Richmond, in the county of Henrico, and State of Virginia, have invented a new and improved Railroad Sleeping-Chair; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the same, sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to which the invention'appertains to make use of it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of, this-specification, and in whichv Figure 1 is aside elevation ofmy improved chair, when used forsitting erectf and Figure 2 the same, when used as a re'cliningcl1air.' I

The object of this invention is to provide a chair for use in railway passenger-cars, which shall serve as a "convenient and easy chair for sitting, or, at the option of its occupant, be changed easily and quickly to a i'eclining-chair.

' In the r1rawings, A represents the bottom, 6 b the legs, 0 the rounds, B the back, 0 the arm, and D the post supporting the arm of the chair. The back is hinged to the bottom of the chair at e, as shown in fig; 1, and to the arm at The post supporting the forward end of the arm is hinged to the bottom of the chair at G, and to the-arm at Ho Tenn ear on the lower part ofthe joint F, connecting the. back and the arms, is attached a brace, I, having one end jointed to the back of the chair, and the other end attached by a joint to the bottom of the chair at L. The joint at L is one of'the most peculiar and important features of my chair. It is formed by bending the front end of the brace I downward vertically, into nearly the shape of a hook, attaching the extremity of this hook by an ordinary joint to the end of a short piece of metal, the other end of which metal is attached by a similar joint to the top ofan upright post fastened to the side of the chair-bottom, all the joints moving vertically forward and backward. This configuration of the brace I, in connection with the doublejoint, causes the end of the brace I to fall so fanwhen the brace is brought forwardthat it becomes.

impossible to pull it back into its former position by any efiort of strength applied to it in a backward direction. If, then, the brace I falls into this position, the back of the chairbecomes fixed in its new position, and no weight operating against the back of the chair can move it. In order to move it, the front end of the brace I m ust'be brought slightly forward, and then raised, .when a little pressure will throw the back of the chair into the position shown in fig. 2. The cushioned seat of my improved chair M is pivoted on a roller, the end of which is shown in fig. 2, at m, the rear end of the cushioned seat being attached to the back of the chair by the hinge S, as shown in fig. 2. this means, whenever the back of the chair is thrown backward into a reclining position, the front part of the cushioned seat is elevated and the rear end slightly depressed, making the chair much more comfortable to its occupant. Attached to the round of the chair, and projecting to the rear, will be observed a new feature in this class of chairs, the adjustable foot-rest P for the passenger in thenext seat behind. The foot-rest is fixed to a rod having a ratchet upon its under side, which works backward and forward in a. socket attached to theround of the chair, and directly beneath the centre. When the foot-rest is pulled out and thefeet resting upon it, the ratchet prevents its shoving in again. It can he showed in only by lifting the ratchet-rod.

A chair constructed in this manner has the advantage not only of being easy, by reason of the cushioned seats accommodating themselves automatically to the position of the occupant, and, by reason of the adjustable foot-rest, oiieri'ng him an opportunity to avoid being cramped in one position, as he is obliged to be by the chairs now in use, but it has the advantage of firmness and security. When in its erect position, no amount of force,

. short of that which will break its hinges, can cause the back to give way. It never slips. Thenatnre of the joint L absolutely prohibits anything of this kind. A ratchet may sometimes give way to force, but this joint must be operated in its own manner, or, instead of being in danger of slipping, it only becomes more obstinately fixed in its position. 1 At the same time it is operated with perfect case. A slight motion of the body forward, a touch of the finger, and the chair sinks back to a reclining position, While to bring it forward to a sitting position requires not even a touch of the finger to the spring. All that is necessary to be done is to pull the back of the chair up to its place. The joint L assumes the proper position of itself. The'back of the chair will be brought up, to its position as the occupant rises or leans forward.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The brace I, in combination with the double joint L, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination and arrangement of the chair-back B, the joint S, the cushion seat M, and the roller on, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The foot-rest P, fixed to a ratchet-bar which slides in a. socket beneath the seat, and supported by resting on the floor of the car, substantially as described.

To the above specification of my improvement I have signed niiy hand this 4th day of April, 1867.

J. R. CHILES.

Witnesses:

NATHAN K. ELLswoRm, SOLON G. KEMON. 

